In Marnie Blok’s Beyond Silence, Eva (Henrianne Jansen) confronts Sandrine (Tamar van den Dop) about her sexual assault with the help of her sister Anna (Sigrid ten Napel), who serves as her interpreter in a conversation that goes much deeper than just what Eva has experienced.
Awards Buzz spoke with Blok about how this film originated from reckoning with her own past:
“I lived through a rape myself a long time ago, so I have a very sharp focus on the subject, and I have a lot of anger. Not so much about my own rape, honestly, because that’s a long time ago and I learned a lot as well, but because it’s such an ongoing thing for so many people, mostly women. And anger is a very great place to create from. Then I started doing research, and I found out really shocking numbers of when MeToo started, the reports of sexual abuse and violence went up sixty to seventy perfect, so I thought that was really hopeful. But then it turned out that the actual charges that were pressed only went up one percent, which made me realize how huge the group of people is that are silenced, by themselves or by others.”
She emphasized how age and time have impacted and shaped people’s responses and likelihood of reporting:
“I really wanted the two generations in because when MeToo happened here in Holland but in a lot of countries in Europe, and maybe in America, I don’t know enough about that, but there were so many women, mostly women, my age and older that said, ‘Okay, whatever, those all those stories., also a bit boring, it’s a bit one-dimensional, it’s very prudish.’ And they started to warn young women not to become a victim, as if victim would equal being weak. And I thought, but, first of all, it’s very inappropriate because finally people are starting to talk and you shut them up again. And secondly, I thought, yeah, well, when you’re raped, you are a victim. There is nothing weak about it. It’s a fact. I’m really happy that the younger generation, at least, is more vocalized about it and we are all talking more about it.”
Watch the video above to hear about her decision to write Eva as a deaf character and the search for the perfect actress for the role.
Beyond Silence is on the Oscar shortlist for Best Live Action Short.
